So much of the history of Western art, particularly what we refer to as "fine art", is tied up with religion. In the last few hundred years, we've seen much more art that exists without reference to any gods, but we still see very little art that is expressly atheist in nature.

Amy Davis Roth, aka Surly Amy, has been working to change that. You probably know her from her Surly-Ramics, ceramic jewelry carrying atheist and pro-science messages and pictorial designs . Recently she's been painting more, including iconographic flowers that sold in the art show at last month's American Atheists National Convention. For the last couple of years, she's also been heading up a team of atheist, humanist, and skeptic artists at Mad Art Lab on the Skepchick network.

This Sunday, she joins us to talk about what motivates her to create art and what we may be looking for as atheism develops an art of its own.

Atheists Talk is produced with funding from the Minnesota Atheists and the Humanists of Minnesota. This radio program is put together by dedicated volunteers and the generous donations of listeners. If you are able to help with a donation please consider doing so at our Radio Fund page. If you're interested in advertising on air, contact us at the email address below.

Listen to AM 950 KTNF on Sunday at 9 a.m. Central to hear Atheists Talk, produced by Minnesota Atheists. Stream live online. Call in to the studio: 952-946-6205, or send an e-mail to radio@mnatheists.orgduring the live show.

Coming off of his talk at American Atheist's National Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah this past month, Mark White continues his atheist speaking as this Sunday's Atheists Talk radio show guest. He'll speak about leaving Christianity and perhaps share a few stories about his musical career and his time with The Spin Doctors.

Mark White is a founding member of the alternative rock band, The Spin Doctors. Best known for Two Princes and Little Miss Can't Be Wrong, the Spin Doctors have sold millions of records and were nominated for a Grammy for Two Princes.

Atheists Talk is produced with funding from the Minnesota Atheists and the Humanists of Minnesota. This radio program is put together by dedicated volunteers and the generous donations of listeners. If you are able to help with a donation please consider doing so at our Radio Fund page. If you're interested in advertising on air, contact us at the email address below.

Listen to AM 950 KTNF on Sunday at 9 a.m. Central to hear Atheists Talk, produced by Minnesota Atheists. Stream live online. Call in to the studio: 952-946-6205, or send an e-mail to radio@mnatheists.orgduring the live show.

Coming out atheist can make your life better. Coming out helps other atheists. Coming out cultivates other atheists. And coming out creates a better world.

This is the refrain of Greta Christina's new book, Coming Out Atheist: How to Do It, How to Help Each Other, and Why. As the title says, this is a how-to book, brimming with Christina's trademark forthrightness, compassion, and thoughtfulness. It recognizes that each of us who are out atheists have to come out many times over in many different situations, and it tackles the challenges of each while never losing sight of the fact that there is joy in being known for who we really are.

Join us this Sunday when we talk to Greta Christina about the book and how we can make the world a better place to be out as an atheist.

Atheists Talk is produced with funding from the Minnesota Atheists and the Humanists of Minnesota. This radio program is put together by dedicated volunteers and the generous donations of listeners. If you are able to help with a donation please consider doing so at our Radio Fund page. If you're interested in advertising on air, contact us at the email address below.

Listen to AM 950 KTNF on Sunday at 9 a.m. Central to hear Atheists Talk, produced by Minnesota Atheists. Stream live online. Call in to the studio: 952-946-6205, or send an e-mail to radio@mnatheists.orgduring the live show.

Wicked Gods is a thriller with an extra mystery attached for good measure. The novel itself evokes the complexity of Dan Brown, though with better writing. From the publisher's description:

When her seismic exposé of religious abuses lands on the best-seller list, Professor Mira Veron becomes a darling of the literati and a target for religious extremists and culture-warriors alike. With her soon-to-be-ex-husband scheming to undermine her, her opportunistic agent attempting to cash in on her name, and a seductive born-again assassin tracking her every move, she meets up with a publishing tycoon who is guarding a volatile secret.

Veron is drawn into an underground network by the promise of cataclysmic religious revelations only to watch as her new associates mysteriously die, one by one. Under siege by forces seen and unseen, she embarks on a desperate quest for answers. Now she must choose between defending her work and defending her life.

If that isn't enough mystery for you, Eilís Leyne is a pseudonym. About the author:

Eilís Leyne is the pen name of an author whose non-fiction works have appeared in more than a dozen publications, including the Christian Science Monitor and the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Having written two well-received non-fiction books, Wicked Gods is her debut novel.

Atheists Talk is produced with funding from the Minnesota Atheists and the Humanists of Minnesota. This radio program is put together by dedicated volunteers and the generous donations of listeners. If you are able to help with a donation please consider doing so at our Radio Fund page. If you're interested in advertising on air, contact us at the email address below.

Listen to AM 950 KTNF on Sunday at 9 a.m. Central to hear Atheists Talk, produced by Minnesota Atheists. Stream live online. Call in to the studio: 952-946-6205, or send an e-mail to radio@mnatheists.orgduring the live show.